Job interviews serve two main purposes. First, they provide the interviewer and interviewee with enough information to determine whether the candidate's qualifications and skill sets are suitable for the job. They also help discern whether the candidate's values are closely aligned with the organization's values and philosophy. Interviews aren't all about the company and they're not all about the candidate. Both parties have an integral role in the decision-making process, accomplished by effective interviewing.

Selection Process

As recruiters and hiring managers start sifting through applications and resumes, they also start the preliminary screening process to select applicants they're interested in interviewing. Preliminary screening filters out the applicants who clearly are not a match for the job. This includes applicants who applied for the wrong position, those whose qualifications don't meet the job requirements, and those whose application materials are not complete. For example, if the job posting says applicants must include salary requirements -- no exceptions -- applications that arrive without salary requirements might be canned.

Initial Phone Interviews

Initial telephone interviews let employees speak with qualified job candidates who otherwise would not be available for a face-to-face interview right away, such as those who live outside the local commuting are. Phone interviews should consume no more than half of a recruiter or hiring manager's workday. This prevents several interviews from becoming one blurred telephone conversation and gives the recruiter time to decompress between calls. In addition, each telephone interview should be 30 minutes or less.

Telephone Interview Questions

The purpose of an initial phone interview is to further narrow the selection of viable candidates. Recruiters who ask all applicants the same questions are likely to be more effective as they narrow the candidate field based on answers to identical questions. For example, an effective telephone interview begins with a summary of the job and an introduction to the company, followed by a series of questions about the applicant's work history. Deviating from a standard list of telephone interview questions makes it difficult to objectively rate candidates' answers.

Face-to-Face Interviews

In-person interviews let the interviewer and the interviewee further explore whether the candidate's qualifications meet the job requirements, and determine if the candidate is a good fit. Nothing beats face-to-face interaction in terms of judging whether the candidate's demeanor, values and approach fit what the company is seeking. Nonverbal cues play a big part in a face-to-face meeting. Ronald Riggio, an organizational psychology professor at Claremont McKenna College, calls these cues "PIE," for Poise, Interest and Expressiveness. The PIE approach is useful for both the interviewer and interviewee. They can demonstrate poise by listening without interrupting, interest by asking follow-up questions that demonstrate attentiveness, and expressiveness by showing enthusiasm to learn more.

Interview Questions

A combination of behavioral interview questions and situational interview questions are best posed during a face-to-face interview. Behavioral and situational interview questions should elicit responses that shed light on the candidate's ability to articulate her skills and expertise and her method for sustaining positive workplace relationships. An example of a behavioral question might be, "Describe your time management in handling competing priorities that could have prevented you from reaching an important project deadline. How did you explain your dilemma to team members or your supervisor?" Situational interview questions are especially helpful when interviewing candidates for technical or clinical positions because they require candidates to describe their functional expertise, which may be key to their suitability for the job. For example, a registered nurse might be asked, "What are the advantages to using telemetry for post-operative cardiac patients?"

About the Author

Ruth Mayhew began writing in 1985. Her work appears in "The Multi-Generational Workforce in the Health Care Industry" and "Human Resources Managers Appraisal Schemes." Mayhew earned senior professional human resources certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute and holds a Master of Arts in sociology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.